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Cleaning woodwork

I’m grateful for the former owner’s restraint when it came to remodeling. I love that the bathroom tiles have crazing, I love that the floors creak, I even love that the bathtub has a round top that makes balancing shampoo and razors on the edge nearly impossible. The only thing I don’t love so much is the decades-worth of build-up on surfaces people touch.

Banisters, doors, cabinet pulls, even light switches. I think it was just a result of waxy cleaning products, but I have a really active imagination when it comes to germs.

After thoroughly scrubbing all the light switches and cabinet pulls, I decided to tackle the stair railing. Jeremiah is convinced I removed the “original patina,” but that’s just the years of Antiques Roadshow talking. Even if I am, I’ll take partially removed original finish over sticky, gummy old finish. Blehck.

Murphy’s Oil Soap can do it!

And then….

Ahhh…. so much better! Now my imagination is free to obsess about stuff growing in the basement.